Mitch didn’t realize he had been answering her yes and no questions until he caught her tiny smirk with his last answer.After that, he resolved not to fall into any more traps. Tasia continued verbally enjoying their walk in spite of his asocial grunting.
The sun continued to be plenty warm, but a cool breeze blew more often than not. Mitch had added an extra layer and was therefore quite comfortable. He flicked a glance at his companion. She wore a shawl that he didn’t remember from before. It was probably sufficient for today, but he hoped she had something more substantial in the weeks to come.
“Oh! We’re here already,” Tasia remarked. “I didn’t realize. Be right back!”
Slipping behind a large trunk, Mitch watched her skip up the path to the cottage. The handoff was no faster than last time, and the two women exchanged more words this time before Tasia said goodbye. Not eager to stick around, he began walking as soon as she could see him.
“Just a minute, please. I want to try this on.”
Mitch turned around to see red material swirl, then settle onto the slim girl’s shoulders. As she pulled up the hood, a pained wheeze escaped him.
“Goodness! This is much warmer.”
He spun on his heel and marched deeper into the woods, trying to outrun the memories threatening his peace. Just because she was wearing a red, hooded cape did not make Tasia like . . . that other girl. Mitch wasn’t going to let Tasia in, so he had no reason to worry. This bodyguard role was nothing like last time.
Her footsteps soon hurried after him, and a little while later, Tasia returned to her babble. The first few minutes were devoted to testing out how her new cape twirled and sharing the results aloud. Then she moved on to discussing the fashion differences she had noticed between Diomland and Bavenpier.
For all his extensive travel, Mitch had yet to visit the small country composed solely of city buildings. He let himself cogitate on the possibility of finding work there; it helped distract him. While thugs, guards, and other mercenary-type jobs were surely available in abundance with that many people living close together, he hated the idea of that many people living close together. The inconvenience of a full moon also happened in the city with the same frequency it did on the rest of the continent.
“Are you ready for lunch?” Tasia’s question pulled him from his thoughts.
He turned to look at her. The woman’s smile was a sweet invitation as she gestured to the open space next to their path and held out a parcel.
“Uh—sure?”
“Did you mean to make that a question?” she teased.
Mitch cleared his throat and tried again. “Please. And thank you.”
He sat down in the dying grass not far from the knee-height rock Tasia was perched upon. She passed him a comfortable offering of bread and cheese. The pair ate in companionable silence, enjoying the simple fare as they soaked up the autumn sunlight.
Clapping her hands on her knees once, Tasia stood and nodded. “I’m ready!” she announced.
Having finished sooner than she did, Mitch was perfectly ready to continue. He pulled up short when he felt her hand on his sleeve.
“May I try leading this time?” Wide, hopeful eyes peered into his. “I think I know this part.”
He shrugged and gestured for her to go ahead. Tasia snatched her basket and bounded onto the path.
Apart from needing to give directions like “right,” “left,” or “your other left,” walking behind Tasia wasn’t any harder than being in front. Even with the constant need to redirect, in some ways it was easier, because she was so focused on not leading them astray that she wasn’t rambling. It didn’t take much longer, either.
“Wait!” Tasia raised one hand as she paused. “I know this part. Behind these bushes is the log bridge.”
Despite the triumph in her words, Mitch heard the hint of uncertainty. He felt the irrational need to soothe that. “Correct.”
“Yay!” She clapped her hands together, then forged ahead while smiling over her shoulder at him.
She immediately dropped from sight. Heart in his throat, Mitch dashed forward to find her on her hands and knees in the stream. She had missed the log and stumbled badly.
“Are you hurt?” he asked as he splashed in and helped her rise.
Tasia sighed as she looked at her wet knees and boots. “I’m fine. It isn’t very deep.” She shook water off her hands.
“But it is full of rocks,” Mitch pointed out.
A half-smile graced her face as she made eye contact. “I might find a couple bruises later, but I am perfectly capable of finishing the trip.”
He nodded reluctantly and led her out of the water on the other side, ignoring the log. After watching her wring out the bottom of her dress and cloak, he finally started again when she gave him a rather pointed look.
